Indonesian court commutes French drug smuggler's death sentence

An Indonesian court has commuted the death sentence for a French man convicted of drug smuggling. The French foreign ministry had expressed its concern when he was convicted, reiterating France's opposition to the death penalty.

The Mataram High Court commuted Felix Dorfin's sentence to 19 years in prison, three months after he was sentenced to death following his arrest last year at the airport on Lombok, a holiday island next to Bali, for carrying a suitcase filled with about three kilograms of drugs, including ecstasy and amphetamines.

Dorfin has maintained that he did not know the exact content of what was in the suitcase. His lawyer has previously described him as a victim.

Prosecutors had initially asked for a 20-year prison sentence, and the death sentence came as a shock in the decision earlier this year.

It was not immediately clear why the court commuted the sentence. The ruling is expected to be made public on Friday. The prosecutor in the case said he was deciding whether or not to appeal the decision.